|
This week, a steady stream of support rushed in for Rep. Deb Haaland (D-NM) in her rumored vetting to become the first Native American Cabinet Secretary - in this case, head of the Department of the Interior. The symbolism hasn’t been lost on Haaland (Laguna Pueblo) or those familiar to Indian Country. Since its inception 171 years ago, the Interior has enforced the federal government’s long legacy of anti-Indigenous policies on Natives, almost always directed at taking more Treaty territory. Haaland’s potential appointment could be the closest reach yet for Indigenous justice. This week, news of her prospects surged in the media alongside other headlines deeply connected to the lands of which she would oversee, most notably in Michigan where the state’s Governor teamed up with the Department of Natural Resources to revoke and terminate a decades-old easement to oil giant Enbridge. In the Pacific-Northwest, billionaire Warren Buffett joined two states and two tribes to begin decommissioning four dams on the Klamath River. It should open up 400 miles for the salmon to swim again. In many ways, today’s pipelines are yesterday’s dams on treaty lands, all of which have fallen under the watchful eye of the Interior. This legacy was much discussed in a recent conversation I was honored to lead this week with a small but insightful group of advocates and leaders working in Indian Country. You can watch it here. And for even more context about the legacy of the DOI, I recommend Vine Deloria Jr.’s Custer Died for Your Sins. A 1960s manifesto, it captures the real frustrations felt among Natives at the time, burdened by the colonial mandates enforced by the Interior. On my Sunday Reading List: this report sent to me by a new reader about pipelines and anti-protest laws. There’s also this short read about Indigenizing Philanthropy and this piece from the Times as it works to racially decode this historic election. (I’m not holding my breath on the latter.) Many folks, including other newsletter artists I follow, say they are going to take the upcoming holiday week off. Not me. For one, I don’t really observe Thanksgiving, but I also don’t judge those who do. Hopefully, you’re not traveling too far. and wherever you find yourself, feel good on the Indigenous lands you’re on. Look 'em up and acknowledge the place you give thanks to this year. See you next week. Jenni Monet
|
